Other Upgrade Ideas?

Ok, I had plans to get a four inch lift, 33 inch tires, dual 3-inch flowmaster, iffy about taking out the cat, on my 86 Suburban. There aren't any emissions laws where I live but I'm not sure I want worse gas mileage than we already get. At the same time we chose to have that gas mileage when we chose to buy it a few weeks ago. I want a heavy duty bumper but my old lady doesn't. Other than the intake and filter, and a new carb, I was kinda just stuck there.

As for new headers, maybe upgrading my axles to 3/4-tons, and lockers, are there other ideas to beef it up? Brand recommendations for certain items?

First of all if you live in the U.S. there are Emissions regulations where you live, if your particular county doesnt have required Emissions testing due to population density that doesnt eliminate your vehicle from having Cats or other emissions equipment.
Their required by Federal law and as such if you get caught removing or tampering with them you can be subject to a $10K fine and/or 1 yr in jail.
The EPA is cracking down on Emissions violaters in rural areas, over the past 3 years they've begun setting up portable Emissions testing stations along side roads and highways that snap a picture of the license plate on any vehicle passing that fails to meet certain threshhold limits, they'll mail you a citation with a court date and in some cases a date and place to bring the vehicle in for inspection. If you dont comply with the citation some date in the future you can either expect to get pulled over and detained or a knock on your front door. Either way you normally end up with a ride to the local Police station to clear things up.
Your truck, your choice but I recommend ya leave those cats on. Unless your running lots of horsepower they dont degrade performance, many engines run much better with them on now days.
Same thing with a 3" exhaust, you open the exhaust up to much and you'll lose horsepower in the lower RPM's. A decent set of Long tube headers into 2" or 2 1/4" pipes will improve horsepower and mileage some depending on how you drive.

The exhaust is a good example of more isn't always better. Your truck needs a certain amount of back pressure to run the best. As [MENTION=14295]tbplus10[/MENTION] was saying a 2" or so set of pipes is enough to give the sound most look for and the slight boost in performance.

You live in Thurston County. I am in King. Yes there are plenty of laws related to your rig here, and you happen to live in the one county where all the legislative activity is, and where the State Patrol is headquartered. Hello? Anybody home?

Removal or tampering with a catalytic converter carries a $10,000 fine (and possible incarceration in a prison somewhere). Do you have that much money to throw away? Or are you one of the "they'll never catch me" people? I think I heard that "logic" from that multiple offense DUI suspect who mowed down the three adults (and instantly killed two) and the baby in Seattle last week.